[theprophetgoyle]

20

20. if you have a lucky item, what is it

It's funny you should bring it up. Recently I find myself overwhelmed by the blessings you speak of. I have so many that I feel it's my duty to open my arms to the world and offer them out. They are cauldron-tested certified lucky items, and because I sense that you may be in need of some luck in the near future, I'd even like to offer you a discount today, so for the low low price of....

[theprophetgoyle]

📍 Cardiff, Wales 📅 3 March 1981

@goylerules🔒: new propaganda just dropped

[theprophetgoyle]

ajransome​:

A.J. wouldn’t push them to St. Mungo’s. In fact, they didn’t push anyone to do anything. Everyone held their fate in their own hands. That, A.J. believed. They nodded in response. “If I ever turn down a free drink, assume I’m fucked in the head.” 

[ fin ]

[theprophetgoyle]

ajransome​:

A.J.’s brows furrowed as they considered their response. “Yeah, you might want to get that checked out again. Make sure it’s healing properly.” They hoped the calmness of their voice didn’t instill any panic in Benny—but enough urgency that he would book an appointment sooner than later. “I’m a healer. Used to be, at least.” 

.

“Another thing to add to the list,” he had Benny lament with a shake of the head as Che-Wei committed these facts to memory. The next time he saw A.J.—and there would be a next time, he was playing the long game—he’d have an appropriately healed wound to iron out the details he had made a mess of today. “I’d better get going. We can only hope the roadblock has cleared by now.” Two drinks should have been enough time, but there was no telling in Cardiff how long a row could last. “Drinks on me next time we cross paths?”

[theprophetgoyle]

ajransome​:

A.J.’s eyes flashed down to the burn, then widened. “How long ago did that happen?” It had been months since they walked into St. Mungo’s, and they couldn’t shake their healer tendencies. 

.

Shit. He folded the trouser leg down again to avoid any further, deeper inspection. Shit, shit, shit. “Oh Gargoyles, what’s today? Can’t be March already, can it? No, no, we’re still in February...” The less certain Benny was about today, the more believable it would be that he misremembered when the fabricated accident had happened. Sure, Che-Wei helped Walden sell a spare body part from time to time but scarring on a repossessed organ and scarring on a living, healing organ were two very different beasts. “Must have been just before the summer, why? Something look wrong with it?” His apprehension was real, it just wasn’t about whether or not his leg was healing properly as he’d like A.J. to believe.

[theprophetgoyle]

ajransome​:

“Five hundred galleons? For fuck’s sake. That’s brutal.” Now, admittedly, A.J. was interested to know. If only because this poor sap didn’t seem like he possessed enough chaos to be fined that much money. They attempted to appease their curiosity with finishing off the remainder of their drink. 

.

“Certain hints lead me to believe there may have been hot grease involved,” he thought Benny should add, if for no reason other than so he could solidify his story by lifting up the leg of his trousers to reveal a nasty burn that had not existed a minute ago before Che-Wei extended the glamour to include his legs. It was fun to him, seeing how far he might stretch his talents. And, admittedly, he should have only had the one drink, rather than the two.

[theprophetgoyle]

ajransome​:

No more than ten seconds into Benny’s story, A.J. wished to be inebriated. Maybe then they would find this story to be endearing instead of, well, foolish. But A.J. had already committed to attempting to be social this evening, so they stayed put, attempting to look interested. Coaching themself through facial reactions to appear interested. They also managed to gulp down half their drink in the process, too, but that wasn’t exactly unsurprising behavior for them. 

“Did you ever figure out what happened between eating a rogue chocolate frog and waking up in a woman’s loo?” 

.

“I was fined a hundred galleons. I can only imagine the things in the Kinky Kestral I would have had to break, and the emotional damage I had to inflict, to rack up that cost.” He shook his head and took A.J’s lead, draining most of his second glass. It would be his limit: drunks made terrible liars. “You live and you learn, I suppose. But no, I never found out.” He felt the acute difficulty then of playing a good person when you were a decidedly bad one yourself. It was very difficult not to laugh. All to a point though, he reminded himself.

[theprophetgoyle]

ajransome​:

A.J. raised both palms, a gesture that practically screamed why not. “I’m a better listener, for what it’s worth.” 

Che-Wei was counting on it. “It all started with a chocolate frog,” and what good pub story did not? “At least, that’s what I thought it was. Did you know they can put Muggle Mushrooms into chocolate now? You can’t even taste it! So this little fellow comes hop hop hopping up to me at the bar. Someone’s let their chocolate frog loose in the pub!” He hoped this was all just stupid enough to be charming. He paused to wet his whistle with another swig from the glass. 

“I don’t know what your parents taught you,” he began, “but mine always said it was bad luck not to eat a chocolate frog that crossed your path. It’s like ignoring a sign, innit? Well, it’s fucking bollocks, because I eat the damn thing and all I got from it was bad luck. I came to standing in the women’s loo, arms through my trouser legs asking to borrow a glass of water sauce to dip my dragon nuggets in.”

[theprophetgoyle]

ajransome​:

At that, A.J. laughed. They couldn’t particularly disagree, given they often preferred solitude to companionship. They flagged down the bartender again. “Next round’s on me.” 

.

He indicated towards the first empty pint. “And I believe I owe you a story about getting banned from the bar. If I haven’t already talked too much.” Che-Wei had been relaxing on cruise control in this form, but now he endeavored to take the role a bit more seriously. Really commit to the part of the silly, goofy guy you’d join a cult with one day.

[theprophetgoyle]

ajransome​:

If one reached the end was right. “Mm. My neighbor died. Nice lady.” A.J. shrugged, lips twisting into something of a grimace. After taking another swig of drink, their eyes flashes to Benny. “Do you enjoy perceiving strangers?” 

.

“Not at all.” His head shook back and forth. “I find it really puts people off. I try to keep my mouth clean of observations but they just come out.” This, he punctuated with a loose shrug. “I worked as a flying for Side-Along for a while; you really learn a lot about what strangers hate about you when you do that. My ratings freaking soared when I just started playing the wireless instead of chatting.”

[theprophetgoyle]

ajransome​:

A.J. couldn’t understand why a grown adult would prefer Benny of all names, but even in their own childhood, A.J. didn’t consider themself youthful. Sharp edges and barbed wire always seemed to wrap around them, as if born with it. “Yeah,” they nodded, recalling that first summer in Cardiff. “Three years, just about. It’s home, I guess.” A.J. wasn’t particularly sure if home was a place, more like a feeling. A feeling they hadn’t felt in quite some time—until recently. 

“I needed cheap rent at the time. Now, I can’t imagine being elsewhere.” 

.

“They really get you with that eighteen month lease bonus,” he joked, tilting his beer A.J.’s way. “By the time you reach the end —if you reach the end— you’ve suffered enough you feel like you have to stay just to prove something.” He laughed, it was a friendly sound. “Maybe that’s just me. You don’t look like you have anything to prove to anyone. If you don’t mind my saying.” 

[theprophetgoyle]

ajransome​:

“Fair enough.” A.J. replied with a shrug, then walked through the door and made their way to the bar. They promptly ordered two pints, which the bartender slid toward the pair. “I’m A.J., by the way.” 

.

“A.J.,” Che-Wei parroted back, committing the name to memory with a nod. “Nice to meet you, mate. Weird circumstances to be sure, but... All in a day’s work, eh?” He shrugged, laughed. Che-Wei... or, well, Benny sipped through the foamy head on his pint—mostly so he could be sure he didn’t introduce himself by the wrong name—and then offered, “Benjamin Singh. Usually go by Benny though, or just Ben. You been living in Cardiff long?” It was a casual question for Benny to ask, and an important thing for Che-Wei to know.

[theprophetgoyle]

ajransome​:

A corner of A.J.’s mouth tugged upward into a slight smirk. “Should I press you on the details of that story?” 

.

“Oh, absolutely.” What better way to build a convincing character? “After I have a pint in me though.” He held the door to the Drunken Dragon open for the stranger to enter through first. 

[theprophetgoyle]

ajransome​: 

“Maybe you’re right and it was something else entirely.” In Cardiff, anything was possible. It’s what A.J. liked most about the city. Their gaze fixed back on the incident ahead of the pair, clearly escalating. “The Commons,” they said with a sigh. Only a few minutes away from their flat and yet it was probably best to be anywhere but here. That became abundantly clear as a hex fired into the streets below their feet. “Fuck it. I’m getting a drink.” There was an invite to join buried someone in A.J.’s words. 

.

Che-Wei didn’t need to be asked twice. In fact, he hadn’t even needed to be asked once before following along. As he saw it, this was the best possible outcome that could have been granted him. “As long as it’s not the Kinky Kestral. I’m banned. Long story.” And one Che-Wei still had to make up. With a thumb he gestured over his shoulder towards the commotion they were leaving behind. “Nothing like that, scout’s honor.”

[theprophetgoyle]

ajransome​:

“In the Commons.” A.J. glanced over at the stranger, nodding while inspecting them. “I did, too. Away for a work thing, but my neighbor was hysterical when I got home.” They weren’t certain if they actually believed their neighbor, but A.J. didn’t care enough to question it—not when there wasn’t any harm to their flat. “Then again, she’s usually hysterical.” 

.

“Now that you mention it, I think I do remember hearing a lot of stomping around not too long ago, but I just assumed it was the usual hubbub.” Che-Wei laughed, and was pleased at how warm he’d managed the sound. “You know how it is.” A shrug; comradery. 

“Where were you headed? Before all the—” The commotion grew louder. There was a woman screaming hex after hex at a man shouting and stumbling beneath the window. “The entertainment.” He jumped back when a stray hex hit the cobbled streets not too far from the crowd. “Not the new kicks,” he moaned. 

[theprophetgoyle]

[theprophetgoyle]

ajransome​:

WHEN: Sunday, 6 February, 1981; afternoon WHERE: Corpse Road, Cardiff  AVAILABILITY: 0/2

A.J. blinked once, then twice, as their gaze lingered upon the scene unfolding ahead. A familiar face in Cardiff, wreaking havoc per usual. Not shocking to someone like A.J. who called this place home for years now, but certainly surprising to some of the newer souls who found themselves lurking around the city, perhaps drawn to the church that seemed to continually draw in new prey.

Naturally, A.J. had to pass through this section of Corpse Road in order to reach the Commons, so they were coming to terms with the fact that an undisturbed journey home was out of the question. When they sensed another person stop dead in their tracks right beside them, A.J. cleared their throat. 

“At least it’s not a troll this time.” 

.

Che-Wei couldn’t have been more excited for the disruption. It allowed him, and his new face, the perfect opportunity to forge a common bond with a Cardiff native. Nothing brought people closer together than complaining. 

“When was there a troll loose in the streets?” He blinked several times in dismay. “How did I miss that?” Che- Wei liked playacting this character. He was simple, regular. Harmless.